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A blog by a husband and a wife who watch entirely too much television…

Tag Archives: Greys Anatomy

This is a question I ask myself every week. Literally, after every episode, I sit in bed (I watch Grey’s after CJ goes to bed so as to avoid his hateful comments) and think, why do I continuingly subject myself to the torture of watching a show that simply isn’t very good anymore. Maybe I am a masochist, because I certainly don’t have a problem quitting shows I stopped enjoying (i.e., The Bachelor, American Idol, Glee, Private Practice, Desperate Housewives, etc. and most recently The Blacklist–James Spader couldn’t even save that show for me). So, what is my deal? Personally, I think two things are at work: (1) a feeling that I need to go down with the ship or finish riding the wave that is Grey’s Anatomy; and (2) the memory of a show that, at one point was great (that I actually bought on DVD and watched repeatedly). These two reasons may cause me to stay around for the rest of season 10, but I can’t and will not commit to a season 11, just because Grey’s is still on TV. Here are some of the reasons why this kid will likely stay at the station as the Grey’s Anatomy train continues to chug on:

1. You are creating stupid storylines about the characters I love – Seriously, you gave Bailey OCD? At what point did you think turning Bailey into an obsessive-compulsive maniac was a good idea or an idea that fit with that character. Throughout the entire Grey’s series Bailey has been a rock. A source of support and sound advice for not only her interns, but for her superiors as well. Bailey having OCD was absurd and a horrible way to treat a beloved character.*

*Also, just fyi, OCD is not a condition that just magically goes away, apparently it has for Bailey though. Great story-telling Shonda.

2. The new cast is unmemorable – Oh god, the interns. I refer to them as a group because I still don’t know most of their names. Keep in mind this is not the first season these people have been on this show either. Yet, they are so unremarkable that I literally can only keep them straight in terms of what attendant they are currently screwing. In fact, when news broke that Tessa Ferrar and Gaius Charles were leaving Grey’s after this season, I actually had to look up who those people were to even know what characters they play (Tessa, is Leah aka the girl who had a fling with Arizona and did a whole bunch of boring stuff that I can’t even remember, and Gaius, is Shane aka the guy who electrocuted another intern and I think killed a patient because he was overworked–I really can’t recall though). The only intern that has seemed even remotely interesting in Jo and that is mainly because I like Alex and she sleeps with him. Yet, their romantic relationship has become even a snooze fest as of late.**

**As I searched for pictures of interns, I came across quite a few that I forgot even graced the screen. Again, further proof,of how uninteresting the interns have been. (To be fair, I do know that one of the guys below was shot when the hospital was under attack, I just didn’t care).

3. Mer-Der has lost its luster – I am not saying that I want to break these two up because I firmly believe that these characters should be together. But, it is safe to say that this relationship has become boring. I am tired of their bickering over who gets to have a more exciting or prestigious medical career. Why can’t we have these two working together on a project that gives them both the professional validation that they seem to crave? I am tired of their petty arguments.*** I miss the magical moments from this couple.

***You know what else I am tired of, the Christina and Meredith petty arguments. Can’t we have two woman who are best friends that support each other and allow each other to grow as doctors and people? I mean I get that Sandra Oh is leaving the series, but we don’t need Meredith and Christina to be pushed apart in order for that departure to happen. Further, while I am on the subject of petty arguments, does it seem like the show has decided that everyone needs to be unhappy or in some sort of argument with someone every episode? Jo and Alex fight about everything (last week it was Alex’s loans, before that it was Alex’s father); Arizona and Callie never really seem happy with each other anymore (Callie and Derek have been fighting professionally too for that matter); and the back and forth between Owen and Christina is literally driving me insane. Either be together or don’t be together, but let’s move on from this ridiculous and tired love story.

5. Even the medical stories are stupid – I don’t really remember many of the medical stories that have happened this season to be honest. And, the ones I do, are ridiculous. The cat man? A man that made his face look like a cat? That was your medical story of the week, really? Hey, remember when those two people were stuck together on a pole going through both of their bodies and one of them had to die? Yeah, that was good television. Or where a man literally had a bomb inside of him and Meredith’s hand was stuck in his body? Yeah, that was exciting as well. And, please let’s all recall the Denny story (not ghost Denny, the actual Denny when he was alive) with Izzie cutting his LVAD wire. Come on!

With ABC not yet announcing whether it is renewing Grey’s Anatomy for another season, it is possible that this will be the last we see of it (although, this seems doubtful). At the very least, I hope I will stop watching.

Alright, I am back with the second edition of Watch This, Not That. Today, we tackle two Shonda Rhimes creations. Both shows have been around for awhile and both shows have generated buzz over the years. But, with so many new shows beginning, especially this fall, I think it may be time to vote one of these shows off the island. Sohere we go: Grey’s Anatomy v. Scandal. Let the games begin.

Grey’s Anatomy (Thursdays, 9pm, ABC) – I will admit that I have only watched the season premiere of Grey’s. (I simply did not have the time to watch the second episode last night). But, I seriously doubt that episode number 2 is going to change my impression. Let’s be honest. The season premiere of Grey’s was a mess. An utter mess. It seems like they decided to throw every storyline into the first 2 hours. The Chief is electrocuted and then so is Brooks. Callie and Arizona breakup and Callie moves in with Meredith and Derek and refuses to let Arizona see the baby. And, like in every other Grey’s season there is a terrifying natural disaster…this time it’s a storm and a landslide or mudslide (honestly, I can’t remember exactly). What kills me about Grey’s is that, we are getting the same story over and over again. It’s now been 9 full seasons (season 10 just started) and it’s the same old stuff. A lowly intern dies (remember when George died), a couple breaks-up, and a bunch of people are injured by a huge catastrophe. I am over it Grey’s, over it. Please just call it quits.

Scandal (Thursdays, 10pm, ABC) – Scandal picks up in it’s season premiere right where it left off. We see an incredibly intense showdown between Olivia and her father that makes you wonder where in the heck did Olivia come from. The entire episode centers around the main love triangle in this show–Olivia, Fitz, and Mellie–and how to overcome the fact that Olivia has now been revealed as the President’s mistress. It’s situations like these that bring out what we love most in these characters: Mellie and Cyrus turn into the monsters that they are, the Gladiators stay strong and support Olivia, and Fitz becomes the sometimes weak, sometimes strong, man that is always less intelligent than the two women that are the center of his life. In addition to the scene between Olivia and her father, I thought the scenes between the VP and the President were particularly strong and showed another layer Sally Langston. All in all, a very strong premiere.

The similarities: Obviously both shows are Shonda Rhimes creations and are airing on the same network. Further, both shows star a female lead with a difficult and complicated love life (well, at least Meredith Grey used to have one) and a troubled upbringing. Further, there are several actors who have played characters on both shows: Jeff Perry, Scott Foley, Katie Lowes, Josh Malina, Bellamy Young, Kate Burton, George Newberm, Kurt Fuller, Gregg Henry, Debra Mooney, Mark Harelik, Tom Amandes…you get my point.

The verdict: You can’t argue that Scandal isn’t the better show at this point. I mean come on. We all realize that Grey’s has become this old, tired drama that everyone is secretly hoping will announce its cancellation so that we can stop watching (oh, maybe that is only me). In contrast, Scandal has proven itself to be exciting, interesting, creative, and unpredictable. Those are hard things to accomplish. And while admittedly, Scandal had a little rough start, it has now found its groove. This could not have been any more evident than by the premiere of Season 3–an hour of television that I did not want to end. So, jump on the Olivia Pope train and let’s try and remember the good years of Grey’s before the life had been sucked out of it.